Closed beach Mexico what's wrong with him. Hidden beach playa del amor in mexico

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Holidays on the Pacific coast of Mexico are not much different from holidays in other Spanish-speaking countries. Similar architecture, beaches, cuisine. Daytime drowsiness and seething night life. But I happened to visit a place that completely stands out from the general template picture. This is Hidden Beach in Puerto Vallarto, Mexico, whose photo caught my eye shortly before choosing a vacation spot. I was so fascinated by this phenomenon that the decision where to go for the next impressions formed by itself.

Even before the trip, I knew that the locals call it natural wonderPlaya de Amor(Beach of Lovers). This is due to its popularity with couples looking for privacy, due to its secluded location, hidden from prying eyes in the rocks. For the same reason, it received its common name Hidden Beach. Located on the Marieta Islands, which are located in Pacific Ocean west of resort town Puerto Vallarto.

What is its uniqueness

This natural ensemble resembles an amphitheater or a stadium, only on the site of the arena is sand beach, washed by the purest water, and rocks rise instead of stands. To get to the beach, you need to swim through a low natural tunnel, and this passage is available only at low tide. The stone vaults surrounding the beach serve as a natural conditioner, and thanks to them the air temperature here is always somewhat lower than around the island. This, however, does not apply to water temperature. It is as warm as anywhere else in these latitudes.

Unlike many others mysterious places the origin of lovers' beach is not associated with any romantic legend. Moreover, it is banal and prosaic. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Mexican military used Marieta Islands as a testing ground and tested explosive ammunition on them. It is believed that it was a series of powerful explosions that caused the rocks of the island to take such unique forms. After the island was no longer tested, the air and the ocean completed the work of man and finally shaped the look of the beach, which is known throughout the world. The famous islands of Marieta and, in particular, the Beach of the Lovers became already in the late 60s. The first to pay attention to the nature and the unique ecosystem of the islands was famous explorerJacques-Yves Cousteau. Thanks to his authority, as well as increased public attention, the Mexican government has awarded the islands a protected status. Now the islands attract professional explorers and ecotourists.

Unforgettable sensations will be left behind by scuba diving, both with scuba gear and without equipment.
Marieta Islands are the habitat of unique marine animals. Here you can meet dolphins, manta rays and even humpback whales.

The main attractions around the Hidden Beach in Puerto Vallarta

In the very Puerto Vallarta there are also many places that I would recommend to pay attention to the traveler.

Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It attracts many believers and tourists. It is famous for its unusual openwork dome, repeating the crown. Interestingly, this is a version of the original dome restored in 2009, which was destroyed in 1965 by an earthquake.
Embankment Malecon. Pedestrian zone 800 meters long on the shores of Banderas Bay. Place of the evening promenade local residents and tourists. It is saturated with restaurants, cafes, and is also replete with all sorts of original artists who arrange their performances on the street.
Archaeological Museum. Small in size, but rich in exhibits. Here you will get acquainted with artifacts related to the culture of the peoples who inhabited the territory of modern Mexico from 5000 BC to 5000 BC. e.
Botanical Garden. It is not located in the city itself, but it can be easily reached by bus, and it will take no more than 40 minutes. Located in the picturesque foothills on the territory of 8 hectares. The park itself is divided into sections, each of which is dedicated to a particular type of plant. Separately, I recommend paying attention to the aloe garden, as well as the plot with orchids.
Zoo. located in picturesque valley surrounded by mountains and tropical jungle. I would call a feature of this zoo that its inhabitants merge with the external environment, forming a complete picture of wildlife.

Botanical Garden

Entertainment

Since the territory on which the hidden beach is located is protected, tourists should not rely on recreational activities such as fishing or spearfishing.

But you can fully enjoy the views sea depths , having carried out a dive both on the beach itself and near the island.
In addition, you will be offered walking tour around the island and kayaking trip around, which will allow you to see pictures of the wildlife of the archipelago up close and at a distance.

Fantastic Hidden Love Beach on the Marieta Islands in Mexico - video

Beautiful video about this wonderful beach. Happy viewing!

How to get there

You can get to the Marieta Islands from the city of Puerto Vallarta. You can do this in two ways:

buy a tour ticket and go to a hidden beach with an organized tour group;
hire your own boat owner that will take you to your destination.

In any case, the owner or organization that undertakes to help you get to the islands must have permission from the Secretariat for environment. Since the archipelago is located at a small distance from the city (22 miles), a one-way trip will take no more than one hour.
I happened to visit the hidden beach as part of an excursion group, since I did not have a large budget. And I can only imagine how much more opportunities are provided by independent sailing.

In the whole world there are still many amazing places which are a must visit. For example, it will also be no less interesting for travelers. And how to choose the right suitcase for travel, read the following article.

If one of the readers has experience of such a voyage to the beach of lovers, it will be interesting to read about your feelings in the comments.

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Playa del Amor - hidden beach of Marieta island, Mexico

If not for the sound of the waves, people would probably not even know about the hidden beach. Playa del Amor is located a few meters from the coast of the uninhabited island of Marieta. Very few tourists get there. real paradise for lovers of seclusion.

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If you want peace, prepare for war. So goes the old saying. And the person stubbornly follows it. Therefore, most countries of the world regularly conduct military tests. Naturally, these actions are accompanied by destruction. But sometimes nature can even make an amazing place out of destruction.

This happened on the island of Marieta, not far from west coast Mexico. As a result of military tests, a small but insanely attractive beach was formed here. It is hidden from prying eyes in a cave, so it is called unpretentiously - Hidden Beach. It is located 34 km west of the city of Puerto Vallarta.

Hidden beach on the map

Geographic coordinates 20.704155, -105.564975
The distance from the capital of Mexico, Mexico City, is approximately 700 km.
Distance to the nearest airport Puerto Vallarta 32 km

The island itself was formed during volcanic activity several thousand years ago. But the Hidden Beach is already the result of human impact, or rather a bomb explosion. At the beginning of the 20th century on desert island Marieta, the Mexican military conducted target practice and periodically detonated bombs. Landscape beautiful island was corrupted. Nature, as always, patiently began to cover up the traces of the harmful influence of man.

By the way, this is not the only manifestation of such natural care. Even out of garbage and waste, she can easily make an attractive attraction. Read, for example, about the famous Glass Beach in California, and you will understand what perfect cleaning for a person means.

So, having played enough "in the war" and blowing up a bunch of bombs and TNT, the military left the island. The places of the explosions healed like wounds, but one place remained to gape like a big hole. It was close to the coastline, and so a beach formed inside. Over time, the traces of the explosion dragged on, soil erosion, wind and precipitation smoothed out the influence of man, and voila - we have one of the most beautiful sights in Mexico. Now the beach looks like a natural phenomenon.

Like famous beach in the cave Benagil, here, too, turned out to be a beach under the arch of the cave. An oval hole measuring about 35 by 25 meters above the beach allows enough sunlight to pass through, from which the water, already amazingly clear, becomes even more transparent. The whole bottom is literally in the palm of your hand.

Sometimes this place is called Love Beach, due to the fact that young couples in love really liked it. Where, no matter how here you can feel yourself in solitude.

The hidden beach is called so for a reason - getting here is not so easy. To swim in the warm waters of this amazing beach, you have to swim through a small tunnel, which is only accessible at low tide. Unusual beach attracts not only travelers, but also various marine animals, among which a large number of fish, dolphins, and even ocean giant whales sometimes appear here.

With the influx of tourists, the Mexican authorities began to worry about the safety of the island of Marieta and therefore restricted access there. To visit the island you need a special permit. Usually excursions are organized to the island, but you can rent a boat and ride to the island on your own, the main thing is that the owner of the boat has access to the island.

Since 2005, the island and its famous beach have been part of national park Islas Marietas (in the original Parque Nacional Islas Marietas). By the way, the legendary French oceanographer (and indeed a comprehensively developed person) Jacques-Yves Cousteau always called for this. He conducted numerous studies on the island and fought to preserve its unique ecosystem. To be honest, he largely contributed to the military leaving the island in the 60s of the last century.

Fishing, hunting and any other human activity is strictly prohibited on the island, except for the contemplation of the amazing surrounding beauty. We have already said that there are many interesting species of fauna here. You can see humpback whales, graceful dolphins, huge turtles, octopuses and large manta rays, such as, for example, in Stingray City in the Caymans. The weather on the island is equally hot all year round, but winter is considered the best time to visit it. Firstly, at this time the purest water. Secondly, whales come here in winter, which is an incomparable pleasure to watch.

Interesting facts about Marieta Island and Hidden Beach

Since May 2016, access to this attraction has been closed to the general public due to environmental threats. More precisely, because of the destruction of corals due to the abundant number of tourists. And also due to the fact that here up to 250 times a day the anchors of pleasure boats are lowered, damaging the corals.
According to scientists from the University of Guadalajara, the Hidden Beach can be visited by no more than 116 people a day without causing damage.
UNESCO contributed this National Park to the list of biosphere reserves

hidden beach photo

Regarding the hidden beach in Mexico, first of all, it is known that this very idyllic place with a sandy beach and crystal clear water was not formed by itself, but as a result of a bomb explosion. This secluded beach is located in Puerto Vallarta, on the Marieta Islands. And he appeared several decades ago, at the same time when the Mexican government began to use these places for exercises.

The Marieta Islands themselves, located just a few kilometers from the Mexican coast, were previously the place where the tests took place. military equipment. At that time they were completely uninhabited. Even before the outbreak of the First World War, so-called controlled bombardments were carried out here, which subsequently led to the emergence of many caves and other unusual rock formations.

AT recent times a hidden beach that has received the universally recognized name - "The Beach of Love" ("Playa De Amor") has become world famous, solely thanks to social networks. The Marieta Islands themselves were formed many millennia ago due to active volcanic activity in these parts. The hidden beach appeared here as a result of a combination of all these factors. Erosion of the rocks surrounding it also contributed a lot to its appearance, which, undoubtedly, was caused by local weather conditions.

Getting to this secluded beach is not quite easy - you will first have to swim through a short tunnel. Only then will an amazing beach surrounded by wild nature open in front of you. There are several tour operators along the coast that organize trips to this amazing wonder. The islands themselves can be reached by boat, the journey takes about an hour. A boat can be rented on the coast near Puerto Vallarta. I must say that the islands are visited by hundreds of tourists almost daily, although according to Mexican laws, access there is prohibited.

Back in 2005, this territory of this archipelago was declared a National Park to protect it from poaching, hunting, fishing and other troubles caused by human activity. The only things allowed near the islands are kayaking and snorkeling. Traveling by boat, tourists can see amazing marine animals in these places, including dolphins, manta rays and even humpback whales.

To get to the hidden beach, you must first fly to Puerto Vallarta. Planes fly there from almost all major Mexican cities. And you can swim to the beach on a boat, which you can either book in advance with a tour operator, or already rent from local residents after you get there.

Trips

One of the most idyllic places in the world with crystal clear waters and a sandy beach was created by a bomb blast.

Secluded beach on the Marieta Islands in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico formed decades ago when the Mexican government used it for target practice in the early 1900s.

The Marieta Islands, which are located a few kilometers off the Mexican coast, used to be the site of military trials, as they were uninhabited. Even before the First World War, these controlled bombardment led to the appearance of many caves and other unique rock formations on the Marieta Islands.

Now a hidden beach officially named "Playa De Amor" (" love beach") became world famous thanks to social networks.

The islands themselves were formed thousands of years ago as a result of volcanic activity. The hidden beach was the result of all these factors combined with the erosion of the surrounding rocks caused by local weather conditions.

Hidden beach in Mexico (photo and video)

To get to the secluded beach, tourists need swim through a short tunnel which opens onto a delightful beach surrounded by wildlife. There are several tour operators that provide day trips to this natural wonder.

The islands are approximately an hour by boat from the coast of Puerto Vallarta and are visited daily by hundreds of tourists, although by law no one can set foot on their territory.

The archipelago was proclaimed national park Parque Nacional Islas Marietas in 2005 to protect it from fishing, hunting and other human activities. The only things allowed near the islands are snorkeling and kayaking. Tourists can admire amazing marine life here, including humpback whales, dolphins and manta rays.

Unusual beach in Mexico

How to get there?

Direct flights go from almost all major cities to Puerto Vallarta International airport Puerto Vallarta named after Gustavo Diaz Ordaz. You can get to the hidden beach on the Marieta Islands by booking a boat in advance or on the spot with the residents.

The best time for visiting

The weather in Puerto Vallarta remains virtually unchanged throughout the year. However, after the winter rains, the water on the beach becomes especially clear.

The best beaches in Mexico

1. Tulum (Tulum)

One of the most popular places for swimming in Mexico is on sandy beaches in the city of Tulum, where ancient temple Mayan.

2. Puerto Vallarta (Puerto Vallarta)

Despite its popularity, Puerto Vallarta has retained its small-town charm.

3. Playa del Carmen (Playa del Carmen)

The beaches of Playa del Carmen are among the most popular on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.